What a clanger!
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I came across this advertisement today in our local paper. Can moving closer to Harrogate affect the ability to spell? This banner headline certainly wouldn’t encourage me to enrol a child at Leeds Grammar School.
Posted 21/09/07 - Permalink to this story
My first adjudication
I spent this evening with Harrogate Writers’ Circle, adjudicating their article competition. Although I’ve written a lot of articles, I’ve never been asked to adjudicate before, so I approached the meeting with some trepidation. However, it seemed to go well and kind things were said afterwards. All in all, it was an enjoyable experience, helped by the fact that the standard of entry was high and the articles covered a wide range of interesting topics. The press report on the adjudication can be read on Harrogate Writers’ Circle‘s own website.
If the experience has taught me one thing, it’s increased respect for the noble souls who adjudicate our Ripon Writers’ Group competitions. I knew a lot of hard work went into it, but I didn’t realise quite how much until now.
Posted 19/09/07 - Permalink to this story
Back on the street
Walking up and down the village street was a pleasure this morning. The sky was blue, the temperature was pleasant and everyone was in a good mood. By mid-afternoon, it felt more like February than September. My fellow extras and I shivered as we trotted obediently to and fro - in my case mainly between the shop and the pub - and the ladies of the cast were given hot water bottles to hug in between takes. I envied Jelly Baby, wrapped up cosily in his pushchair, and would have scrambled in beside him if there’d been enough room.
Posted 18/09/07 - Permalink to this story
A favourable review
The October issue of Writers’ News includes a letter in praise of Plenty more where she came from, the short story with which I won the August WN competition. Deana Godmon applauded my choice of a dark subject and the way in which I bucked the trend by not giving the story a happy ending. As the twin themes were the exploitation of African children brought to the UK to work as domestic drudges and international sex trafficking, a ‘fairy godmother’ ending would have been a gross betrayal.
Posted 16/09/07 - Permalink to this story
Carnival Messiah
The Carnival Messiah at Harewood House was a spectacular blend of Caribbean carnival, music, dance and drama, based on Handel’s Messiah. A professional cast spearheaded the production, ably supported by a large community chorus chosen from an open casting in Leeds. Altogether, more than a hundred people took to the stage and the many costume changes were managed with great dexterity. Some parts of Handel’s Messiah were superbly performed straight and I particularly liked the rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus by a steel band.
Harewood House was built on profits from the Lascelles sugar plantations in the West Indies and the descendants of those very slaves, many of them now resident in Leeds, will not fail to appreciate the sgnificance of the venue. The bi-centenary of the transatlantic slave trade was very much to the fore in the advertising and the displays in the huge marquee where the production was staged.
Posted 15/09/07 - Permalink to this story